Vegan, Gluten Free Sweet Bean Paste Buns

Can you imagine something being buttery, without using any butter? And at the same time, being filled with sweet (but not too sweet) goodness?

These vegan, gluten free bean paste buns are amazing, and so addictive! I've been having a hard time not gobbling them one after the other.

And they came about because, a few years ago, I used to live near a Chinese bakery that sold red bean paste buns. After twice-weekly practices with my dance company, I would go into the store and treat myself to a bun.

I've missed red bean paste buns so much since I had to give up gluten, and I've finally managed to re-create them! They're so easy, too. You can use store-bought red bean paste, or make your own according to my recipe. This time, I made mung bean paste since I had split mung beans on hand, but red adzuki beans are most common.

Vegan and Gluten Free Fatayer / Miniature Pizza Pies

I have been wanting to re-create these little Arabic pizza pies / pockets forever! Well, at least since 2009, when I first discovered I was gluten intolerant.

Fatayer is an easy, delicious Middle Eastern pizza / stuffed biscuit / pie type thing that varies in shape and fillings. You can make them with meat, cheese, or - as in this recipe - spinach and other greens. They can be a meal in themselves, as a snack, or as part of a spread of mezze/tapas dishes.

They're so delicious, btw, that I've been eating like three of them for breakfast every morning... and then another one or two with lunch...

Easy Gluten Free Pie Crust Pizza Rolls (using up leftover pie dough) + vegan option

What a miraculous discovery! These gluten free pizza rolls were a complete fluke, and a total hit! This last minute attempt to use up leftover pie dough scraps turned into a recipe that I will use again and again. It's very easy and totally delicious.

This weekend we had the in-laws over for dinner and I decided to make gluten free pot pie (the recipe for the pie is in my book, Living with Oral Allergy Syndrome but don't worry, the recipe for the crust is in the post below). I doubled the recipe and ended up with extra pie crust. 

Now normally when I end up with extra pie dough I make little tartlets, like these Miniature Gluten Free Chocolate Pudding Pies but as it happens I already have 16 tart shells in my freezer waiting to be made into something.

So I thought, why not try an appie of some sort?

Well behold, friends, gluten free pie dough pizza rolls - an appie/snack that can be made very quickly, served as an appetizer or snack, taken to potlucks, and definitely shared with others!

Easy Vegan and Gluten Free Cucumber and Seaweed Salad (Japanese Sunomono) + MeatlessMonday

Don't let the fact that this might be unfamiliar scare you off. It's not at all difficult, and doesn't require any hard to find or weird ingredients - unless you've never had seaweed, in which case, it might be slightly strange, but it's not scary, I promise! Seaweed is pretty easy to find in the Asian section of most major supermarkets, or at any Asian market.


Refreshing, simple, and healthy, I LOVE Japanese sunomono in a variety of forms. Most sushi restaurants serve sunomono in the form of a vinegar-based, rice noodle soup with a cucumber and seaweed garnish.

But this salad is simply made with dried seaweed and thinly sliced cucumber, with a very simple dressing. It makes for a great side salad on a warm day, or a quick, light lunch.

Easy Homemade Kimchi (Vegetarian / Vegan Option)

For the longest time kimchi was one of those things I was too scared to try. It's contents were strange and the methods of creation dubious. Traditional Korean kimchi (for those who have yet to be indoctrinated into its delights), often made with cabbage, radishes, or cucumber fermented along with raw shrimp, octopus, or fish. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE raw sushi, but I don't feel in the least bit qualified to try fermenting seafood on my own.

As someone of European background with two German grandmothers and one Polish grandfather, fermented cabbage (i.e. sauerkraut) was not at all a foreign substance. I know they're loaded with probiotics and stuff that's good for gut health. But kimchi... well I hadn't even heard of it until a few years ago.

My dad, on the other hand, will eat almost anything. And a few weeks ago during a dinner at his place he served us kimchi as an appy. My husband, who is not keen on most other fermented foods, really liked it. So of course I had to try to make it myself! And you know what? It's super easy and doesn't require a lot of fancy stuff.

I've been eating it so much my husband told me the other day I'm starting to smell like kimchi... so maybe it's time to cut back a little ;)

Flexible Gluten Free and Vegan Watermelon Tomato Gazpacho (+MeatlessMonday)

It's been crazy hot in Vancouver, British Columbia this summer. And when I say hot, I mean like 30-35C (86-95F) and this is not exactly normal here. So not normal that most people don't have air conditioning in their homes.

Sadly, I'm one of those people without A/C.

So when we had my dad and his wife over for dinner a few weeks back I had no intentions of turning on the oven for anything. Searching around for hot weather dishes, I came across a few recipes for watermelon gazpacho. I loved the idea, and made up my own super simple variation based on what I had in the fridge.

This hot weather appetizer is super flexible, takes very little time to whip up, and requires no heat! It's also extremely refreshing and unusual, and a nice way to use up any leftover watermelon slices you might have in the fridge.

Gluten Free Tuna and Polenta Bites (+MeatlessMonday)

Free of gluten, dairy, eggs, soy

I love these little tuna salad and polenta bites for hot summer days, and especially when we're having a dinner party. I've made them a few times lately because it's been too darned hot to spend any time over the stove.

They're fast and easy and you can make them ahead of time, cover them, and pop them in the fridge until you serve them. These tuna and polenta snacks are also great for pot-lucks or as hors d'oeuvres.

GF, Vegan Sweet Pea Spread and Dip + Avocado Allergies

Free of gluten, soy, dairy, nuts, eggs, soy

Ok, I realize this is going to sound crazy, but this pea and spinach spread is really, really good. And versatile.

As is, it's kind of like a low-fat, avocado-free guacamole (for those of you with avocado allergies, read on!). A cheaper version of guacamole. Substituting the cilantro with basil makes it like a mock pesto, a peasto if you will (yeah, go ahead and groan, I couldn't resist). A nut-free vegan pesto of sorts. A much, much cheaper version of pesto.


See? So versatile that it can be both guacamole AND pesto.

Greece Inspired Gluten Free Baked Feta Cheese (and a deal on a romance book!)

This recipe for baked feta cheese (yes, there's cheese underneath all that colourful goodness) is actually inspired by a trip to Greece, and makes a brief appearance in a fun, steamy little romance written by a friend of mine.

And that steamy little romance happens to be on sale right now on Kindle countdown.

Read on the get the recipe, and the deets on the romance!

Gluten Free Appetizers and Snacks

Gluten Free Ground Cherry Pie

In an effort to clean up and organize the Poor and Gluten Free recipe page, I've decided to put all my appie and snack recipes on one page.  From Brie Baked in Pie Dough to Steamed Butternut Squash Salad with Coconut Lime Dressing there's a little something for everyone. All of the recipes here are wheat and gluten free.  Most are also vegetarian, free of eggs, soy, nuts, sugar and with dairy free alternatives. 

I have tried, whenever possible and to the best of my ability, to include information on Oral Allergy Syndrome related ingredients.  However, it's always a good idea to check with your doctor before trying something you might be allergic to. 

Updated October 17, 2013